Review: Smoke Detectors

One of my older Firex Smoke Detectors stopped working in our master bedroom (after a shower, it was activated but refused to be silenced). I started looking for the best replacement for my home's detectors.

 

I looked at multiple reviews of Smoke Detectors on Amazon.com, but I needed help identifying the best one. I have tried the following smoke detectors so far:

1. X-Sense Smoke Alarm, 10-Year Battery Fire Alarm Smoke Detector with LED Indicator & Silence Button, SD2J0AX
• Highlights
• 10-year sealed battery
• Inexpensive ($15)
• Easy to install (no A/C wiring required)
• Lowlights
• No standby lights (green LED)
• Hard to see the blinking Red LED
• No wifi
2. Kidde Smoke Detector, Hardwired Smoke Alarm with 9-Volt Battery Backup, Test-Reset Button, Interconnect Capability
• Highlights
• Inexpensive ($19)
• Green LED indicates A/C Power is on
• Lowlights
• 9V battery is more complicated to replace (need to remove the whole detector)
3. Kidde Smoke Detector, Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup, Front-Load Battery Door, Test-Silence Button
• Highlights
• Inexpensive
• 9V battery is easy to replace
• Lowlights
• No wifi
4. Kidde Smart Smoke Detector, wifi, Alexa Compatible Device, Hardwired w/Battery Backup, Voice & App Alerts
• Model P4010ACS-WF
• Highlights
• 10-year sealed battery (no need to replace 9V batteries anymore)
• Photoelectric sensor
• Wifi 2.4G support built-in
• Kidde App access to test/ping alarm
• Voice announcements (not just beeps)
• Lowlights
• No standby lights (green or blinking LEDs
• No daily alarm self-test (unlike Nest Protect)
• More expensive ($54)
5. Google Nest Protect - Smoke Alarm - Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector
• Highlights
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide 
• Integration with Google Home/Nest
• Wifi 2.4G
• Standby lights
• Self-testing
• Lowlights
• Expensive ($119) but available for $199 for 2 at Costco.com
  
• 3 AA Batteries need to be replaced 
• Short Warranty (2 years)

After installing the Google Nest Protect v2, I like it more than the Kidde Smart Smoke Detector. The Standby green light tells me the detector is on, and having carbon monoxide checks is a significant plus.

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Sandcastle Classic at Ocean Beach

The 41st annual Leap Sandcastle Classic at Ocean Beach San Francisco was scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 2023. We heard a little bit about it from the website:

The Leap Sandcastle Classic is back at Ocean Beach on Oct. 28, 2023 from 11am-3:30pm! The free event brings out thousands of people for the ultimate sandcastle contest. You can watch teams build absolutely enormous sand sculptures while enjoying live music, performances, and local food trucks. The event is hosted by Leap Arts in Education as their main fundraising effort to support arts education in Bay Area schools.

This will be the event’s 41st year, and the theme is “Halloween Haunts” — that is, teams will be including fun and spooky Halloween elements into their sandcastle designs. Costumes at the event are highly encouraged.

Check-in begins at 8am on the morning of the event, and the official sandcastle competition begins at 11am with a live DJ onstage. Teams will build until 2:30pm at which point the competition’s judges will make their rounds, and the awards ceremony will happen from 3-3:30pm.

Save the date for the 41st annual Leap Sandcastle Classic on October 28, 2023 from 11am-3:30pm at Ocean Beach and Balboa in front of the Cliff House.

After spending a day SUP surfing at Sana Cruz, I returned home at 12:30, and Inna and I decided to drive to Ocean Beach, San Francisco, to see the sand sculptures. 

Since we were hungry, we first stopped for lunch at Outerlands on 4001 Judah Street, San Francisco. We parked our Sienna minivan on 44th Street and ordered the following items. Luckily, our friends reserved a table for us (and the restaurant was not very busy)

• Boris: Tomato Soup (early girl tomatoes), Dutch Pancake (with Ricotta Cheese), Cappuccino
  
• Inna: Tomato Soup, Breakfast Sandwich (with Bacon, Avocado), Latte
  

I had never eaten a Dutch Pancake, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was sweet but delicious! Inna's Breakfast Sandwich was alright.

 The food was great, but the service was a bit slow/spotty, and the bill had many extra charges, like:

• 5% Service Charge
• 5% Health Mandate
  

After lunch, we rushed to Balboa Street and arrived in time to see the award presented to the #1 sand castle. I ran to take photos as many groups started to tear down their creations.

There were many pumpkins and octopuses.

Next time, we will come an hour earlier to have more time to enjoy and photograph the Sand Castles.

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Tango Lovers at Herbst Theater

Inna purchased two tickets to Tango Lovers in San Francisco's Herbst Theater. It was our first time at Herbst Theater. It's quite a small venue, and we had excellent seats with a clear stage view.

The program began with a jet landing in Buenos Aires, accompanied by the orchestra and two singers, Guillermo Fernandez and Maria de Los Angeles, singing a duet.

Something was wrong with the singing as it sounded harsh with some reverb. The amplification may need to be corrected.

I really liked the Tango Dancers. They looked and danced well. I was not as pleased with the band as something was off.

The repertoire included a couple of famous American tunes, including All That Jazz from the Broadway Musical Chicago and Who Wants to Live Forever from Queen.

CAST

Founder & Creator

• Alfredo Lerida
  

Dancers

• Nair Schinca & Nicolas Schell
• Ana Sofia Chinellato & Jose Fernandez
• Estefania Gomez & Fernando Rodriguez
• Alumine Dluchi & Ariel Almiron
• Laly Torres & Ramiro Almiron
  

Singers

• Guillermo Fernandez
  
• Maria de Los Angeles
  

Orchestra 

• Lautano Greco - Bandoneon
• Emiliano Greco - Piano
• Matias Graciun - Violin
• Charly Cardozo - Bass
  

Repertoire

• Volver  (The Comeback)
• La Punalada
• Milongueando En El 40
• Mirando Al Sur
• Loca
• Mi Buenos Aires Querido
• Desencuentro
• De Floreo
• Gallo Ciego
• Cuando Estemos Viejos
• Quejas De Bandoneon
• Los Pajaros Perdidos
• El Amor Desolado
• Enamorodos Del Tango
• Este Es El Rey
• Buenos Aires Hora Cero
• Siempre Se Vuelve A Buenos Aires
• Watashi
• Balada Par Mi Muerte
• Rapsodia Bohemia
• A Todo Trapo
• All That Jazz
• Libertango
• Balada Para Un Loco
• Adios Nonino
• La Cumparsita

Tango Lovers Review

Highlights

• The Dancers were excellent, dancing in sync and changing outfits for each number.
  

Lowlights

• The musicians and the singers did not sound well to me (perhaps due to the poor amplification)
  

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Relaxing in Calistoga

Friday, October 13, 2023

For our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, Inna made reservations at the Indian Springs Hotel in Calistoga. After finishing our work on Friday evening, we lightly packed our suitcases and loaded our Tesla Model Y.

We started our drive to Calistoga at 17:20, encountering heavy traffic and about 30-45 minutes of delays. We arrived at Indian Springs at around 19:52. We checked in at the reception and were given keys to room #26 in the main building. We later discovered a lovely library/game room nearby.

We had never eaten at Indian Springs' premier restaurant - Sam's Social Club  - so we thought about stopping by to see if we could eat dinner there. Unfortunately, all the tables were taken. However, I had made reservations at Lovina in Calistoga for 20:15 (just in case), and we drove a few minutes to dine there.

We ordered the following items from Lovina's menu:

• Bread: Model Bakery Bread (freshly baked and delicious!)
• Appetizer: Apple & Mixed Green Salad
• Inna: Seared Wild Halibut
• Boris: Heritage Pork & Beef Bolognese

We really enjoyed our dinner at Lovina. The service was fast and efficient, and the bread was outstanding! I liked the Apple and Mixed Green Salad and the Heritage Beef Bolognese. Inna's Wild Halibut was excellent, too.

After dinner, we returned to Indian Springs and decided to go for a late-night swim among the stars. It was cloudy, but we enjoyed swimming in the warm, geyser-heated waters.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

I set the alarm for 7:00, but we were pretty tired. After showering and dressing, we were ready at around 8:20 - too late to swim in the pool (before 9:00 breakfast at Solbar). There seemed to be a light sprinkle outside, so we initially borrowed umbrellas, but the rain never came.

We stopped by the Indian Springs' reception to learn about bike rentals, spa availability, and hiking trails. Since bikes were free to rent, we borrowed two city bikes and were told about the following trails:

1. Silverado Trail (heading south toward Yountville, starting from Solage/Solbar)
2. Oat Hill Mine Trail (a short bike ride followed by a 3-mile hike)
3. Washington Street bike trail to Sterling Vineyards

Before going on a bike ride, we ate breakfast at Solbar, where I had made 9:00 reservations.

We enjoyed an excellent breakfast, ordering the following items and my all-time favorite Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Inna's Lobster Omelette was also delicious!

• Boris: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Inna: Lobster Omelette
• Drinks: Coffee

When we returned to our Indian Springs room, we borrowed the bikes and started riding along the Silverado Trail (in the designated bike lane on the shoulder of the road). We pedaled for about 30 minutes until we reached Davis Estates Winery, where we stopped to rest.

A few problematic uphill sections occurred, and Inna had to walk her bike. However, most of the ride was flat and pleasant, with beautiful views of wineries and hills. We spent a few minutes resting at Davis Estates before pedaling back to Indian Springs. It was a satisfying morning workout.

After returning to our Indian Springs room, we decided to stop by for drinks at La Palmeraie Lounge next door. We received 2 free drink coupons and decided to use them. These free drink coupons were only good for drip coffee and prosecco. We ordered the following drinks:

• Boris: Drip Coffee
• Inna: Lemonade, Latte

The drip coffee was horrible. It tasted like burned water / toxic sludge. I ended up throwing it out. Inna'a latte was tolerable, but she liked her lemonade.

Inna enjoyed swinging in a hammock and enjoying the beautiful day. We decided to eat lunch at Sam's Social Club. Luckily, we were assigned a table outside and, after some waiting, ordered the following items:

• Inna: Egg-in-a-hole, Hot Tea
• Boris: Scramble, Hot Tea

The lunch entrees were excellent! My Scramble was fantastic, and Inna loved her Egg-in-a-hole.

After lunch, we returned to our room, rested, and changed into swimwear. We walked to the pool and spent a few hours swimming in the warm, geyser-heated waters. I also read further in my Kindle edition of Every Man Dies Alone by Han Fallada.

Since this was our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, Inna made special arrangements at a Michelin-rated La Toque Restaurant in Napa. 

It was a 45-minute drive to Napa, and we started a bit late, arriving at 18:15. On the way there, Inna felt a bit queasy, and I was worried that she might get seasick. The Silverado Trail is quite twisty and could upset anyone's stomach. Luckily, the road became more straight, and Inna's stomach recovered.

After being seated at La Toque, we selected the A La Carte Menu (the Chef's Tasting Menu was very expensive) and ordered the following items:

• Bread: Freshly baked from Acme (best Sourdough ever)
• Appetizer: French Onion Soup
• Pasta: Fazzoletti (to share)
• Boris: Halibut
• Inna: Duck, Cosmopolitan
• Dessert: Concorde (Chocolate Wedding Cake)

The freshly baked Acme Sourdough Bread was fantastic. Inna raved about the quality. She thought it was the best Sourdough she ever tried. Our French Onion Soup was excellent (though I still prefer the Bouchon Bistro version). 

The Halibut was small but exquisitely prepared. Inna's Duck was outstanding. We had a delightful evening dinner (though I disliked the 45-minute drive to Napa).

After dinner, we drove back to Calistoga. Inna decided to go for another swim in the Indian Springs' thermal pool, but I was too tired and spent the late evening reading my Kindle.

Sunday, October 15, 2023

I woke at 7:30, showered, and shaved in the morning while Inna was still sleeping. We were slow to get up and started our drive to Solbar (for breakfast ) at 8:30. 

After arriving there, I noticed two Tesla chargers (one was being used), and we left our Tesla Model Y to charge there for the next 4 hours (Our Tesla battery was down to 25%) 

We had another excellent breakfast at Solbar, ordering the following items:

• Boris: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Inna: Eggs Benedict with Dungeness Crabmeat
• Drinks: Coffee

My Lemon Ricotta Pancakes were excellent (as expected). I wish there was more blueberry sauce. Inna's Eggs Benedict with Dungeness Crabmeat was excellent as well. We finished breakfast early and returned to Indian Springs, leaving our Tesla Model Y to charge at Solage.

After the 15-minute walk back, we decided to work off our calories by riding our bikes to Sterling Vineyards along Washington Street. Initially, there were a few cards, but eventually, the path turned into a pure bike path, and we enjoyed a safe, trouble-free bike ride.

Since Sterling Vineyards turned out to be closed until late October, we turned back, returning to Indian Springs in about 32 minutes. Since the hotel's check-out time was noon, we decided to store our bags at the hotel's reception while we enjoyed swimming in the thermal pool.

We spent the next two hours swimming and relaxing. At 12:40, I changed out of my wet swimsuit and into regular clothes, walking back to Solage to pick up my re-charged Tesla Model Y. I drove back to pick up Inna, and we were on our way to Yountville for lunch at Bouchon Bistro.

The drive to Yountville was delightful, with light Sunday traffic. Although we ran a bit late, we arrived on time and quickly found parking. We were seated promptly at Bouchon Bistro (at our usual table) and ordered the following lunch items:

• Boris: Gazpacho, Croque Madame with Truffle Fries
• Inna: French Onion, Lamb
• Dessert: Profiteroles
• Drinks: Water, Cappuccinos

We would have preferred seating outdoors (as indoor seating can be pretty loud, but reservations for outdoor seating were not available). As expected, our dishes were outstanding, and we enjoyed the Gazpacho, French Onion Soup, Lamb, and Croque Madame.

After lunch, we wandered around Yountville to see what else might be there, finding other restaurants, hotels, spas, and Veterans Park. Many shops were preparing for Halloween, and we saw many pumpkins and scarecrows on display.

The drive back to San Jose was uneventful, taking about two hours from Yountville.

Calistoga Trip Report

Highlights

• Swimming in Indian Springs' Thermal pool
• Eating my favorite "Lemon Ricotta Pancakes" at Solbar in Calistoga
• Eating lunch at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville
• Eating lunch at Sam's Social Club
• Eating dinner at Lovina, Calistoga
• Eating dinner at La Toque, Napa
• Riding bikes along the Silverado Trail to Davis Estates Winery

Lowlights

• Coffee at the La Palmeraie Lounge tastes like "toxic sludge."

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Taxi Hell at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (Rome) Airport

Saturday, October 7, 2023

After landing at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport at 20:20 (on a flight from Brindisi's Solento Airport), we planned to take a taxi to the Fly Deco Hotel in Ostia, nearby.

At first, we had difficulty finding the airport exit, but we finally managed to exit the airport and queue in the taxi line. When we reached the head of the queue (15 minutes later), we were told by the taxi dispatcher that we wanted to go to our hotel in Ostia, but he said to us that these taxis only served Rome and that we needed to stand in a separate local taxi line.

We found the local taxi stand, but there were no taxis there. Eventually, one local cab showed up, but the driver wanted to charge us 50.00 euros to drive 20 minutes because he would have no passengers on the return leg. He suggested that we try using local buses instead. I refused to pay 50.00 euros for such a short ride, and he would not budge from the 50.00 euros price (Inna tried to negotiate him down to 40.00 euros).

I decided to try UberX twice, but UberX could not locate any taxis. UberX in Italy is utterly useless.

We returned to the local taxi stand, and a different driver said we needed to use the main taxi stand. We queued up again (waiting for 20 minutes). Luckily, we were not turned away but were told to wait. We waited until another couple needed a ride to Ostia so that we could split the 50.00 euros charge.

On the way there, we saw some very run-down areas of Ostia. Even the poor areas of Naples looked better,

Thus, we arrived 90 minutes later at our Fly Deco Hotel, at 22:00, when the bar and everything else closed. Inna wanted a cup of tea, but that was no longer possible.

When we checked in, we also ordered an airport shuttle for 06:00 to get back to the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport by 07:30 (to allow two hours before our international ITA Flights back to the United States).

In our room, I took a shower (as I felt sweaty) before going immediately to bed. We did not bother unpacking; we only stayed until early morning.

Sunday, October 8, 2023

We woke at 5:30 and quickly dressed and packed. We boarded our airport shuttle and were dropped off at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport around 06:30. After checking in and getting our tickets, we went through security and passport control. Then, we headed to a lounge, where we rested before the flight.

The lounge had free croissants, cappuccinos, and small breakfast items. I worked on my blog while Inna rested.

At around 9:00, we returned to our gate and boarded our ITA Flight AZ640 for San Francisco. We had an easy 12-hour flight back home (though the flight's departure was delayed by one hour).

During the flight, I enjoyed the delicious lunch followed by dinner. I watched a couple of the following movies:

• 8-bit Christmas (2021)
  
• A tale of getting a Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s

We landed in San Francisco at 14:00 and had to wait about 10 minutes in our Global Traveler line. Alex drove in to pick us up, and we were quickly taken home.

We were happy to see Alex but a little sad about our two-week vacation being over.

Recommendations

Next time, when traveling to Rome, we plan to stay at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport or in the center of Rome (as there is a fast 32-minute train to Rome Central Station). Without UberX, relying on taxis in Italy can be frustrating.

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A Stop in Ostuni

Our hostess suggested visiting Ostuni instead of Brindisi when we were checking out of our Hotel  Palazzo Papaleo in Otranto. She said that Ostuni is much more picturesque and exciting than the port of Brindisi.

Although I had researched Brindisi and planned to stop there, I switched my plans to Ostuni, about 30 minutes away from Brindisi (by car).

The drive from Otranto to Ostuni was quite pleasant, with mostly light traffic on Saturday morning. I drove at about 110 km/h, arriving at Ostuni at 12:02. I parked at a nearby Parcheggio for 7 euros/day.

Upon reaching Ostuni, I was immediately struck by the beautiful white buildings on the hill - the ancient old town. We climbed uphill, circling around the old city and enjoying views of the surrounding countryside and the Adriatic Sea in the distance.

As we entered the city, we were struck by the myriad of narrow streets going in different directions. In many ways, it reminded us of Matera (but on a smaller scale). We saw many cute decorations throughout the town and stopped by to take numerous photos.

Our first major stop was to visit the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta. I was worried it would close at 12:30, but we were lucky enough to get in before closure. It was a good cathedral.

We also stopped by briefly at the Museum of Preclassic Civilizations of the Southern Murgia but decided to spend time elsewhere. 

The museum had a pre-historic skeleton of a 20,000-year-old woman with a child, but we were not overly excited.

After exploring all of the town, we decided to find a restaurant for lunch. Some better-rated restaurants were closed (for the season), and a few others were quite busy. 

We finally settled on  Osteria Monacelle, sitting outdoors in a narrow alley. We ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Burrata e Capicollo (Burrata and Ham)
• Inna: Agnello Cacio E Pepe (Lamb)
• Boris: Scalfuni Ostunesis (Ravioli)
• Dessert: Pasticcioto
• Drinks: Rose Wine (looked orange), Sparking water

I loved my Scalfuni Ostunesis (Ravioli). It has to be one of the best ever! Inna also raved about her lamb. 

The Pasticcioto was freshly baked and delicious, too! Service was slow, and we smelled some natural gas. 

After lunch, we walked around  Ostuni, enjoying the beauty and snapping multiple photos. When it was time to leave, we returned to our Open Astra and drove to Brindisi Airport.

On the way there, we stopped at a gas station to top off my fuel tank before dropping it off at the Hertz Counter in Brindisi airport, which required a few loops around the roundabout. Once the car was returned to Hertz, we walked to the airport and sat at the Quarta Cafe for drinks and snacks before boarding our flight to Rome (using gate 11 of ITA Airlines).

Self-service gas stations in Italy work slightly differently than those in the United States.

There is usually one credit card reader for multiple pumps, and one has to insert the card, select the number of the pump ("Green" for gasoline), and then wait for the receipt.

Ostuni Trip Report

Highlights

• Exploring Ostuni's narrow, medieval streets 
• Eating lunch at Osteria Monacelle
• Visiting Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta

Lowlights

• Many restaurants were closed for the season

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Driving Opel Corsa in Italy

October 2, 2023

After speaking to an agent at Hertz Car Rental (which I had previously booked using Hertz), we finally settled on the front-wheel drive Opel Corsa (made in  Zaragosa, Spain) with the license plate GL235AS. 

Since I had never driven in Italy, I opted out to purchase additional auto insurance coverage as a precaution. The other basic insurance added 100.00 euros to my bill (the final total was 500.91 euros for 5 days). 

In 5 days, I had the chance to drive the Opel Corsa on various roads in Southern Italy, with mostly freeway use (and some city driving).

Engine

The 1.2-liter engine started quickly (and turned off when idle). However, it had low torque and was slow to rev up. Driving uphill was often a struggle, and I had to downshift frequently in the mountains to keep the car moving.

Gearbox

The 5-speed manual gearbox shifted smoothly, and the clutch pedal was light and precise. I wish it had a 6th speed (for better gas mileage)

Handling

The car handled well, and the steering felt light but precise. Making sharp turns was relatively easy.

Instrumentation

The Opel Corsa has unusual dash instrumentation (for a U.S. car driver):

1. The gas tank shows 0 (empty)  to 1 (full) instead of a round gas gauge (used by nearly all cars)
• It did show km to empty (which was a nice touch)
2. The tachometer is small and hard to read (linear gauge)
• The small tachometer was hard to see and was primarily useless in its bottom left location
3. Indications of when to upshift or downshift
• The suggestions to upshift or downshift were helpful
4. The gas tank is not protected by key
• I was surprised that the gas filler cap was not locked or protected in any way (to protect from theft of fuel)
5. Trunk is small
• The trunk barely fit our small carry-on suitcases
6. Apple CarPlay
• Apple CarPlay worked well for the most part, but the speaker volume was hard to adjust (The touchscreen did not work well)
7. Headlights
• The low-beam headlights are not especially powerful, and I had to use high beams during the drive from Lecce to Otranto (as low beams were mostly useless)
  
8. No Rear View Camera
• I expected a new rental car to have a standard rear-view camera

Gas Mileage:

• 801 km driven = 497.72 miles
• Fill up 1 (Di Paola Angelo & Figlio):      $56.64 =  52.62 euros at 2.20/liter -> 23.92 liters
• Fill up 2 (easy Service SRL in Brindisi): $47.42 = 44.85 euros at 1.95/liter -> 23 liters
• Gallons used  = 23.92 + 23 = 46.92 liters = 12.39 gallons
• MPG = 497.72 miles / 12.39 gallons = 40.17 mpg 

Overall

A well-handling car hampered by its underpowered 1.2-liter engine.

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Relaxing in Otranto

Thursday, October 5, 2023

From Lecce (parked at the Parkejoo near downtown), we started our drive to Otranto at 18:20 (later than I would have liked, as I prefer to drive during the daytime).

I programmed Otranto on my iPhone's Google Maps application, and we started our drive there. Traffic was hefty since it was rush hour, and I made a few incorrect turns on my way out of Lecce. There are numerous roundabouts, but Google Maps did not provide accurate directions regarding which roundabout exit to take. Next time, I will use Apple Maps, which seems better at handling roundabouts.

Eventually, we could leave Lecce and get on the freeway to Otranto. It was already getting dark, and the low-beam headlights on the Opel Astra were not providing sufficient illumination. I had to use high beams more often than I would have liked.

We reached Otranto at around 19:20 - about 30 minutes later than I desired. After a few minutes, we found our preferred parking at Parcheggio Sant'Antonio (just outside the old city) and parked our Opel Astra there. The cost to park was 20.00 euros/day.

We still had to walk about 15 minutes to reach our Hotel Palazzo Papaleo (in the old city) over the rough,  cobblestone streets, but the road was mostly flat.

After finding the Hotel, we checked in and dropped off our luggage in our room. The hotel staff also brought us an Electric teapot for making hot tea. We inquired about the best restaurants in Otranto and were given the following recommendations:

• Ristorante La Pignata: A
• LaltroBaffo Ristorante: A
• Patronale: B
• B & B Balcony of the East: (not tried)

As I felt sweaty from my day of walking in Lecce, I took a quick shower while Inna rested. After resting and unpacking, we were ready for dinner.

We decided to walk around Otranto in search of a great restaurant. At first, we stopped by Ristorante La Pignata, but it was busy and could not accept any more patrons (It needed dinner reservations). 

We continued our search to Patronale, which had one table available. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Polpo Scottato (Octopus)
• Boris: Spaghetti Alglio Gam
• Inna: Rosatto cup of wine,  Tortello Burrata
• Dessert: No Hot Tea

Although this was one of the recommended restaurants, we were less than impressed by its service or food quality. The Octopus was satisfactory, and the Spaghetti was alright. However, the waiter forgot to bring us bread and checked on us infrequently.

After dinner, we talked around (many shops were still open) and then returned to our Hotel for much-needed sleep.

Friday, October 6, 2023

After waking up at 7:30, I took a shower and shaved. After getting dressed, we walked upstairs to breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our Hotel. The view from the roof was spectacular, and we could see the Castle Aragonese, the Cathedral, the waterfront, and most of the old town.

The Hotel's breakfast buffet had a large variety of pastries, deli meats, and cheeses. We also ordered 2 cappuccinos with our breakfast and enjoyed sitting on the terrace, eating the meats and cheeses.

After breakfast, we walked a few blocks to see the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziation. It had an amazing mosaic floor, designed in the 12th century, with mosaic tiles that reminded me of children's drawings (flat and 2-dimensional). 

The beautiful mosaic floor depicts the following scenes:

1. Tree of Life
2. Scenes from Zodiac
3. Bestiary
4. Scenes from the Bible

We next walked a few more blocks to the large, imposing Castello Aragonese - a large castle (surrounded by a dry moat). Once over the drawbridge, our first stop was to see the wonderful exhibit of Marc Chagall's paintings.

Marc's paintings of scenes from the Bible were delightful, and I enjoyed them very much.

We also walked around the top of the castle to experience a more panoramic view of Ottranto.

There was an additional exhibit of artifacts (from prehistoric to Bronze Age) showing bones, arrowheads, flints, and other rudimentary implements from people who inhabited this area thousands of years ago. Many artifacts were found near La Grotta Cervi, a significant trading stop/settlement. It was quite an interesting collection.

When we finished touring Castello Aragonese, we stumbled upon several Tuk-tuks parked outside the castle's walls. Riding around Otranto might be a pleasant diversion, seeing all the major sites (and getting some rest for our weary legs).

I talked to one of the Italian drivers (who did not speak English). He showed me how to translate Italian into English using his phone's auto-translate feature. We settled on a 30-minute tour for 40.00 euros.

The ride in the Tuk-tuk (a motorized, 3-wheel carriage) was bumpy but exciting. Our guide stopped at all the significant points, showing us grottos, caves, and World War 2-era bunkers. Although the English translation was excellent, I did not like waiting for the English version. Next time, I will only use English-speaking guides.

We finished back where we started - at Castello Aragonese. Since lunchtime was approaching, we decided to eat lunch at one of the recommended restaurants. We stopped at Ristorante La Pignata, which looked relatively quiet, and we were offered an indoor table.

• Appetizer: Sapore di Mare
• Pasta: Scrigni ripieni di Burrata (Ravioli with Burrata) - one of the best!
• Drinks: Sparkling water

The appetizer and pasta were simply outstanding (though our waiter service was slow). We were impressed.

For dessert, we decided to try the local Gelateria Fisotti. We stopped by and ordered the following:

• Boris: Sour Cherry, Pistachio - excellent gelato
• Inna: Milk Chocolate  - fantastic gelato

The sour cherry, pistachio, and milk chocolate gelato were excellent, and Inna could not wait to order more.

As the weather was fine, we decided to try swimming on Otranto's nearby beach. We returned to our Hotel, changed into swimwear, picked up beach towels (rented from the Hotel), and walked 10 minutes to the beach.

We rented two chairs and an umbrella for 20.00 euros/day at the central Otranto Beach. The chairs had a unique feature (never seen before): protection from the sun (charming).

Inna went for the first swim in the shallow, calm Adriatic Sea. One had to walk hundreds of feet before it was deep enough to swim. We were impressed by the clarity of the water (one could see fish) and its warmth in October. While Inna was swimming, I relaxed on my beach chair and continued reading my Kindle's book, Every Man Dies Alone, by Hans Fallada.

When Inna returned from her swim, it was my turn. I really enjoyed it. I wish the beach had other water toys to rent, like SUPs, kayaks, or canoes, but the primary tourist season was over (and these were no longer available).

This beach had bathrooms and a nearby cafe but no showers. We stayed until 17:00. On the way back, we decided to stop for a quick snack at the Bar La Torre on the waterfront. The music was blasting a bit loud and there was a large, loud group of German-speaking tourists nearby. We ordered the following items:

• Inna: Nocciolino (nocciala gelato + coffee), hot English breakfast tea
• Boris: Cappuccino (excellent)
• Appetizer: Salmon Bruschetta (delicious)

The Salmon Bruschetta was delicious!

We decided to return to our Hotel, where I could rest, while Inna went shopping. She was eager to see the unique  Italian curiosities, souvenirs, and hand-made items. 

When Inna returned, she showed me the dress she had purchased and the other unique souvenirs she acquired. There were so many exciting shops for her to explore.

We had asked our Hotel to make dinner reservations for 20:00 at  LaltroBuffo Ristorante. It would be our last dinner in Otranto, but we looked forward to eating there.

After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Rose Wine, Sparkling Water
• Pasta: Orecchiette Gamb E (Pasta with Shrimp)
• Main: 600 grams of Sea Bass freshly cooked in Salt and filleted 
• Main: Insalata Mista
• Dessert: Leccese

Before ordering, our waitress brought us the actual Sea Bass we would be eating. It was too large (1.4 kg), and we asked for a smaller fish. We selected the 600-gram version but should have asked for a 1 kg. Although the Pasta with Shrimp was excellent, the freshly filleted Sea Bass was amazing (but too small). We should have ordered a giant sea bass! Nevertheless, we loved all of the seafood here.

After dinner, we strolled around the old city and the waterfront. We were surprised to see young teens still playing at 22:00 (when most should be at home doing homework). We enjoyed our evening stroll and returned to our Hotel. I did a bit of packing to prepare for the next day's departure.

Saturday, October 7, 2023

After waking up at 7:30, I showered, shaved, and packed my clothes and electronics. Inna also poured and packed her clothes and souvenirs.

At 8:30, we climbed upstairs to the Hotel's terrace for our last breakfast in Otranto. We were the first couple there! I was quite surprised because, on Friday, we were late for breakfast.

The breakfast buffet was the same, featuring deli meats, cheeses, croissants, and other Italian delights. We asked our waiter for scrambled eggs, and he brought them over in 10 minutes.

Before heading to Brindisi (for our return trip to Rome and then San Francisco), we decided to stroll around Otranto's waterfront one last time. We enjoyed our beautiful stroll despite the strong wind and overcast conditions. We saw many people sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the Adriatic. Two people were learning to scuba dive despite white caps on the water. Scuba diving is best on calm days when water clarity is best.

Inna hoped to eat delicious gelato at Gelateria Fisotti one last time, but the shop was still closed. We returned to our Hotel Palazzo Papaleo to check out and continue our journey to Brindisi.

During our checkout, our host suggested we visit Ostuni instead of Brindisi, as the former is much more picturesque. We followed her advice and re-programmed our Google Maps route to Ostuni. This was an excellent suggestion; we liked the Ostuni's white-stoned streets.

We also learned that Hotel Palazzo Papaleo closes for the season in November and re-opens in April for Australian tourists. Summer, especially August, is the busiest time and should be avoided whenever possible.

We bid goodbye to Otranto and rolled our suitcases to the Opel Astra parked at Parcheggio Sant'Antonio. We had a fabulous time in Otranto and hope to return.

Otranto Trip Review

Highlights

• Visiting  Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziation
• Marveling at the 12th-century mosaic floor
• Visiting Aragonese Castle of Otranto
• Marvling at Marc Chagall's exhibit of 40+ paintings
• Dining at  Ristorante La Pignata
• Eating freshly caught Sea Bass at LaltroBuffo Ristorante
• Sampling gelato at Gelateria Fisotti
• Strolling along Otranto's Waterfront
• Swimming in the Adriatic Sea on Otranto's Beach

Lowlights

• No water toys available to rent on the beach
• Car Parking was far away from the Hotel

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